1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing control apparatus, a printing control method, and a computer program for executing printing processing using a hot folder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Direct printing using a hot folder is suitable for routine printing work, which is periodically printed, or repeated printing such as reprinting. In this direct printing, in printing, a user drags and drops a file intended to print on a designated hot folder. Then, based on output settings set to a hot folder in advance, printing of a file is executed. As described above, in direct printing, printing can easily be executed.
FIG. 9 illustrates an outline of a conventional printing system via a hot folder. FIG. 9 illustrates an example for inputting print data 911 that is input according to an instruction of a user A to desired hot folders 902 to 904 in a shared folder 913 to which a quota for each user has been set.
A quota is an upper limit of “hard disk capacity” allocated for each user in a computer, which is shared by a plurality of users, and also referred to as a disk quota. Further, setting a quota is to set its upper limit value.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-118095 discusses the following technique. First, a hot folder monitoring program 901 periodically monitors the respective hot folders 902 to 904 in the shared folder 913. When print data is input to any of hot folders, print data is processed according to printing settings (synonymous with above-described output settings) set to a hot folder to which the print data has been input and the print data is transferred to a device 905. Also when print data 912 input by an instruction of a user B (another user) is processed, similar processing is executed.
Further, a technique is discussed, which provides the front step of a hot folder with a hot folder integration application. More specifically, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-216201, first, when a file is introduced into an integration application by drag and drop operation or the like, introduced file information is acquired. Then, the type of a file is analyzed from the acquired file information to introduce a file into a hot folder corresponding to the analyzed type.
However, a hot folder is normally set in a shared server. Thus, as described above, a disk quota is often provided for each user so that a large amount of disks is not consumed by specific persons for the purpose of reprinting and reservation printing.
In normal printing, after print data is input in a hot folder, printing processing is executed at once. Then, after printing is completed, the input print data is deleted at once. Thus, in normal printing, a disk is not consumed for a long period of time.
On the other hand, in reprinting, after data is input in a hot folder, printing processing is executed at once. However, in order to allow printing again, the input print data is not deleted at once but print data is held in a disk for a predetermined time period.
Further, in reservation printing (referred to as confidential printing or confidential print), print output is not executed at once by printing operation from a host personal computer (PC) but printing processing is executed after authentication using a password, a card or the like is executed by panel operation of a printing apparatus. Then, when the printing operation is completed, the input print data is deleted.
Thus, in reprinting and reservation printing, print data needs to be temporarily held in a shared folder for a long period of time compared with normal printing (until data deletion processing is executed). Accordingly, during a period of time to hold print data, memory in a disk is consumed.
Further, depending on an operation system (OS), since a quota cannot be set only for each user and volume, in only a particular folder, the limit of a quota may not be cancelled and a size (value) may not be changed. Furthermore, depending on an OS, when a file is copied or shifted, the property rights of a file may be replaced by a user who has operated it.
Accordingly, when there is little capacity of a quota left, despite the purpose of normal printing (despite the use of a hot folder as a temporary memory for inputting data which is not reprinting or reservation printing), input processing cannot be executed and thus printing can not be executed.